Tag Archives: SB149

It’s Official…Governor Dennis Daugaard has signed into law SB149 – The Faith-Based Adoption Agency Protection Act!!

From our nation’s inception, religious organizations have provided invaluable social services that have lifted people out of poverty, helped them heal, restored their families, and equipped them to one day make their own contributions to society. They do so because their faith teaches them to love and serve one another.

SB149 will now help accomplish that goal by ensuring that faith-based adoption agencies and foster care providers are not penalized under state or local laws because of their beliefs. In addition to secular agencies, and 1960 Attorneys who can facilitate adoptions, South Dakota is also blessed to have several religious agencies, like Bethany Christian Services, New Horizons Adoption Agency and Catholic Social Services that have helped countless children find loving homes. SB149 will now make sure that these agencies aren’t stripped of their licenses or threatened with closure based solely on their beliefs.

It is time that South Dakota lends a helping hand to faith-based adoption agencies and foster care providers to thank them for the helping hands that they have been to South Dakota for decades. We thank Governor Dennis Daugaard for having done just that in the signing of SB149 into law.

We would be amiss if we did not first say…To God be the Glory!!!!

Psalms 107:1 – “O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Second…This was a TEAM effort!!!!

We more than appreciate our Prime Sponsors in Senator Solano and Representative Haugaard who carried the day presenting the case for SB149 with a “flare of excellence”.

We also so appreciate the 70 Legislators who supported SB149 as it made its way through the Senate and the House.

Congratulations to these SD Faith-Based Adoption Agencies: Catholic Social Services, Bethany Christian Services and the New Horizons Adoption Agency!

The lobbying team of the Family Heritage Alliance Action (FHA Action) and Concerned Women for America (CWA) made for an effective ‘Boots On The Ground’ presence at the Capitol advocating for the passage of SB149.

We so appreciate those South Dakotans who took the time to PRAY for this decision and those who engaged their Legislators and the Governor as well via emails and/or phone calls. We are also grateful for the assistance of our National Organizations who came to our aid in a number of ways: Family Policy Alliance, Focus On The Family, Alliance Defending Freedom and the Family Research Council. It makes a difference as we are stronger and better together!

Finally, God Bless those children in need of loving families for they truly are theBIG WINNERSwith the signing of SB149 into law!

Last Sunday I had the wonderful opportunity of filling the pulpit at the two services for the Community Bible Church in Pierre. Their Lead Pastor Harvey Friez, had to be out-of-town that morning, but he was gracious enough to allow me to put up our Family Heritage Alliance Display and then take a few minutes in the service to give a brief mission’s update. What a great morning of fellowship and inspiration with the CBC family.

On Sunday afternoon I spent some time enjoying the great outdoors as I walked around Capitol Lake. I more than enjoyed stopping at various memorials and simply recalling the truth that “Freedom Isn’t Free”. The Combat Wounded Veterans Memorial was of particular interest to me as it is dedicated to those soldiers who have received a ‘Purple Heart’ in their service. Well, my father was one of those soldiers and standing there yesterday caused me to remember and be thankful and that’s a very good thing.

Today we are gratified that both HB1143 and HB1101 passed in our SD Senate and are now on their way the the Governor’s Desk. HB1143 is an Act to revise certain provisions regarding underage prostitution and HB1101 is an Act to increase the penalty for performing an abortion of an unborn child capable of feeling pain. Senator Brock Greenfield did a masterful job in pitching HB1101 to the full Senate. He took a barrage of questions and answered each of them with excellence. I am so grateful South Dakota remains ever committed to enhancing our ‘Culture of Life’.

FHA Action Lobbyist Norman Woods and I have been busy promoting SB149, our ‘Faith-Based Adoption Agency Protection Bill’. We need your HELP in the passage of SB149 a bill that ensures that faith-based adoption agencies in South Dakota are free to continue placing children and making decisions that are consistent with their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions. The bill prevents the state from coming down with a “heavy hand” on any agency because that agency follows their convictions. Please contact your Senator today and ask him/her to vote YES on the concurrence of SB149.

Please follow the work of the FHA Action by regularly going to www.FHAaction.org and click on ‘Legislative Radar’.

“Leave your religious beliefs at home.” You’ve heard it, I’ve heard it…..a lot. That doesn’t make it true or even desirable. Our forefathers came to the New World with theirs. Their religious beliefs and moral convictions were in the forefront of their minds as they forged the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

Much has changed since those moral visionaries signed those documents, but our Judeo-Christian heritage, our Biblically based religious beliefs and moral convictions are unchangeable.

In the 2017 South Dakota Legislative Session 65 of 105 legislators voted to pass Senate Bill 149 (SB 149) into law. Only the Senate’s Concurrence and the Governor’s signature remain to make it so. Respectfully – the Governor should sign it!

Why? Because SB 149 stands firmly in support of the religious beliefs and moral convictions of privately owned non-profit adoption agencies. The law would ensure that the State of South Dakota may not coerce them to abandon their sincerely-held religious beliefs or moral convictions in their placement decisions and the ongoing need for placement of children in safe nurturing homes will be served.

These faith-based adoption agencies do not currently receive any state funds for child placement services but without this protection, they are faced with a possible decision of closing their doors or failing their mission. While this has already occurred in other states, it should never happen here in South Dakota.

There are many adoption service providers in our state, including private and public adoption agencies, so that any family that is looking to adopt will be able to find a provider tailored to helping them.

South Dakota is blessed to have several religious agencies, like Bethany Christian Services, New Horizons Adoption Agency and Catholic Social Services that have helped countless children find loving homes.

Laws like this, which protect religious freedom, serve to encourage other faith-based organizations to volunteer their services, knowing that their freedom to exercise their religion will not be infringed simply for deciding to compassionately open their doors to help others. The net result is that South Dakotans get more options as more faith-based services can be assured of a safe environment to operate.

We anticipate the Senate will Concur this coming Tuesday, March 7, with the House version of SB149 and then that our Governor will sign it into law.

Please HELP US NOW by calling your SENATOR in Pierre at605-773-3821and leave a message for him/her to:Respectfully ‘Vote Yes to Concur’ with SB149.

Today was a rewarding day for “Religious Liberty” in the People’s House of South Dakota! As I sat in the House Gallery I could feel the anticipation building for a BIG WIN as Representative Steve Haugaard, of Sioux Falls, stood to ask for a positive vote on SB149, the ‘Faith-Based Adoption Agency Protection Act’. In the end…43 Representatives said “Yes” to this monumental piece of legislation with 20 opposing and 7 excused.

“Leave your religious beliefs at home.” You’ve heard it, I’ve heard it…..a lot. That doesn’t make it true or even desirable. Our forefathers came to the New World with theirs. Their religious beliefs and moral convictions were in the forefront of their minds as they forged the Declaration ofIndependence and the Constitution of the United States.

Much has changed since those moral visionaries signed those documents,but our Judeo-Christian heritage, our Biblically based religious beliefs andmoral convictions are unchangeable.

As of today 65 of 105 legislators have voted to pass Senate Bill 149 into law. Only the Senate’s Concurrence and the Governor’s signature remain to make it so. Respectfully – the Governor should sign it!

Chris Nelson at Catacomb Caucus

Why? Because SB149 stands firmly in support of the religious beliefs and moral convictions of privately owned non-profit adoption agencies. The law would ensure that the State of South Dakota may not coerce them to abandon their sincerely-held religious beliefs or moral convictions in their placement decisions and the ongoing need for placement of children in safe nurturing homes will be served. Let’s keep SB149 moving forward for the sake of our children and religious liberty!

This week’s Catacomb Caucus brought a familiar face to the front of the room as PUC Chris Nelson shared our morning’s devotional as we were once again led in song and closed in prayer. We also took the time to sign a “Thank You Card” to our Governor. It is a blessing to the 40 or so legislators, staff, lobbyists and guests, who meet each week for this spiritual time of encouragement and inspiration, to meet in the Governor’s large conference room. So collectively we say, “Thank You Governor!”

We are now into our final two weeks at this year’s 92nd SD Legislative Session. We were grateful when today the Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed onto the Senate floor HB1118. Nation wide the issue of Human Trafficking is now off the back burner and onto the front burner and rightly so. HB1118 is a bill that will continue to protect the most vulnerable youth in our society – those under the age of 18 who have found themselves caught in the dark-entangled-web of Human Trafficking.

FHA Action Lobbyist Norman Woods and I have been busy promoting SB149, our ‘Faith-Based Adoption Agency Protection Bill’. We need your HELP in the passage of SB149 a bill that ensures that faith-based adoption agencies in South Dakota are free to continue placing children and making decisions that are consistent with their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions. The bill prevents the state from coming down with a “heavy hand” on any agency because that agency follows their convictions. Please contact your Representatives today and ask them to support SB149.

This afternoon at the Capitol a very special recognition took place in the House Chamber when Speaker Mickelson called to the podium Representative Dan Kaiser of Aberdeen and his family. His son, Jackson, a cancer survivor, received not one but two standing ovations from both the Chamber floor and a gallery of well wishers. Speaker Mickelson announced that Jackson may consider himself, from this day forward, an honorary legislator. Representative Kaiser took to the Speaker’s microphone and eloquently thanked the many from across the state who had kept his son in their thoughts and prayers last year as he struggled through the treatment program. This presentation by Speaker Mickelson was an encouraging, positive moment in the midst of some heavy legislative lifting.

Well, we are down to our closing two and a half weeks in this Legislative Session. Today is what’s called ‘Cross Over Day’ which simply means that all the bills and resolutions which have started in one chamber must cross over to the other chamber to be discussed and voted on.

Hot on our front burner is Senate Bill 149. This is an Act that would ensure that faith-based adoption agencies are free to continue placing children consistent with the agency’s convictions. Faith-based adoption agencies in SD are at risk of closing if the state or a state agency forces them to place children in homes that are inconsistent with their mission. We were thrilled when yesterday the full Senate voted on this bill and passed it on a solid vote of 22 yeas and 12 nays. Senator Solano of Rapid City, pictured here on the Senate Floor, introduced and carried this bill with a flare of excellence. Now, please join us in contacting your Representative today and ask for their support of Senate Bill 149 and thus protect our faith-based adoption agencies.

It was a treat this week for Norman and I to invite to dinner, at our Pierre residence, several friends and co-laborers of the Family Heritage Alliance. From left to right you will find: Linda Schauer (CWA State Director), Cindy Flakoll (CWA volunteer lobbyist), Norman Woods (FHA Action Lobbyist), Mark Chase (NetCasters President), and Debbie Pease (SD Right to Life and Birth Matters Lobbyist). A BIG shout-out of appreciation to my wife, Jan, for baking our main course for the evening – LASAGNA 🙂

It is always a thrill to see Pastors and Ministry Leaders come to the Capitol, the People’s House. So it was great to welcome Pastor Dan Ebbens, of the Aurora Reformed Church, and Dan Hargreaves, past President of the SD Right to Life.

The South Dakota 92nd Legislative Session is well underway and Senate Concurrent Resolution 4 – Recognizing Pornography as Public Health Crisis – was a front and center priority for the Family Heritage Alliance Action. This historic resolution passed unanimously through the South Dakota State Senate (35-0) and House of Representatives (65-0). SCR4 was drafted by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. The FHA Action’s lobbyists, Dale Bartscher and Norman Woods, introduced, secured Legislator signatures and promoted this Resolution. The passage of SCR4 would not have happened without the assistance of two highly capable sponsors: Senator Jenna Netherton of Sioux Falls, SD, primed this Resolution and is pictured here with FHA Action Executive Director Dale Bartscher. Representative Taffy Howard of Rapid City, SD, sponsored it on the House floor. These two South Dakota Legislators spoke with a flare of excellence in their

Rapid City Rep. Taffy Howard, House sponsor of SCR4.

designated chambers to the need of passing SCR4. Their passion for this issue won the day.

This SD resolution not only raises awareness about the harm of pornography and the need to protect children from early exposure, but it also serves as a guidepost for leaders concerning possible future policy decisions.

BTW – Have you contacted your Senator and respectfully asked him or her to support SB149 – bill that ensures that faith-based adoption agencies in South Dakota are free to continue placing children and making decisions that are consistent with their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions. The bill prevents the state from coming down with a “heavy hand” on any agency because that agency follows their convictions. TAKE ACTION NOW: To contact your SD Senator today simply click here. SB149 will likely be voted on the SD Senate floor this coming Wednesday, February 22, so we need your HELP NOW!

This week’s Catacomb Caucus was uniquely led by a father/daughter team. Senator Jenna Netherton and Representative Don Haggar inspired us to LOVE out-loud taking as our lead the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:4-9. We have only three devotional morning’s remaining: Feb. 22 – Rep. Isaac Latterell, March 1 – PUC Chris Nelson, and March 8 – Trudy Qualm. If your in the Capitol those days (Wednesdays) then please join us in the Governor’s large conference room from 7:00 – 7:30 a.m.

Author John Maxwell rightly wrote, “Leadership is Influence”. He’s right and by God’s grace the FHA Action’s team of lobbyists, Dale Bartscher, Norman Woods and Ed Randazzo, are endeavoring to exercise that influence. The 92nd Legislative Session is currently considering some 436 bills and resolutions. Please follow the work of the FHA Action by regularly going to www.FHAaction.org and click on ‘Legislative Radar’ to view those bills and/or resolutions we are tracking.

One such bill we are enthusiastically supporting is: SB149: A Faith-Based Adoption Agency Protection Bill

We need your HELP in the passage of SB149 an bill that ensures that faith-based adoption agencies in South Dakota are free to continue placing children and making decisions that are consistent with their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions. The bill prevents the state from coming down with a “heavy hand” on any agency because that agency follows their convictions.

A few of our wonderful SB149 support team members are pictured here and from left to right they are: Norman Woods (FHA Action Lobbyist), Jim Kinyon (West River Catholic Social Services), Senator Alan Solano (Rapid City), Troy Cumings (Bethany Christian Services National Office), Renee Eggebraaten (Bethany Christian Services of Western SD), and Dale Bartscher (FHA Action Lobbyist). Not picture is Representative Steve Haugaard of Sioux Falls and our CWA partners.

TAKE ACTION NOW: To contact your SD Senator simply click here. You may also call the Senate and House Switchboard phone numbers and leave a message: Senate: 605-773-3821; House: 605-773-3851. These numbers are open and available for taking messages from 7:45 a.m. (CST) until one hour after session concludes for the day. SB149 will likely be voted on the SD Senate floor this coming Wednesday, February 22.

Author John Maxwell rightly wrote, “Leadership is Influence”. He’s right and by God’s grace the FHA Action’s team of lobbyists, Dale Bartscher, Norman Woods and Ed Randazzo, are endeavoring to exercise that influence. The 92nd Legislative Session is currently considering some 436 bills and resolutions. Follow the work of the FHA Action by regularly going to www.FHAaction.org and click on ‘Legislative Radar’ to view those bills and/or resolutions we are either supporting or opposing.

SB149: Faith-Based Adoption Agency Protection Bill

We need your HELP in the passage of SB149 an bill that ensures that faith-based adoption agencies in South Dakota are free to continue placing children and making decisions that are consistent with their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions. The bill prevents the state from coming down with a “heavy hand” on any agency because that agency follows their convictions.

TAKE ACTION NOW: To contact your SD Senator simply click here. SB149 will likely be voted on the SD Senate floor this coming Wednesday, February 22.

An adoption agency in South Dakota that operates in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions is protected, in the passage of SB149, from adverse action in the following ways:

The State may not:
-Alter their tax exemption
-Financially penalize them
-Limit their ability to place children
-Alter the terms or conditions of a contract or license
-Deny a contract or license

SB149 does not:
-Allow for discrimination because of race, ethnicity, or national origin
-Allow actions otherwise deemed illegal
-Allow an agency to place a child into a dangerous situation

What Faith-Based Adoption Agency Leaders Are Saying:

“Catholic Social Services supports the Adoption Agency Protection Act because we would like to continue to offer our adoptive services to families of all faiths in a manner consistent with our long standing religious traditions as we have for over 40 years. We know that this bill is needed because approximately five Catholic Charities nationally have had to cease offering adoption services because of changes in administrative rules or new laws at their state or city level. Some other Catholic Charities are withdrawing from adoptive services in states as their capacity to work within their confines of their religious beliefs were challenged either by law or rules at the state level.”

– Jim Kinyon
Executive Director, West River Catholic Social Services

“New Horizons Adoption Agency, Inc. supports this bill. Faith based agencies supply a great service to the faith-based community. This bill allows a faith based agency to continue that service without fear of compromising the foundation of the agency or the community it serves.”

– Marlys Ubben
Executive Director, New Horizons Adoption Agency Inc.

“SB 149 is consistent with how the state of South Dakota has for decades partnered with private agencies to find homes for children. It doesn’t restrict anyone from participating in foster care or adoption, but it does preserve for faith-based agencies the freedom to be faithful to our convictions while partnering with government agencies in supporting vulnerable children and families in crisis. We are hopeful that South Dakota lawmakers will continue to honor religious freedom and conscience as it has in the past.”